used cl epson 7890 or new 7990... for d800e...

[orchidblooms]

greetings...  i think i am ready to move from r2400 to larger format printer...

i see a great deal this month epson offering a whompin rebate on the 7900  makint this 'seem' affordible, from online sellers 2495.00...

and i  see supposed low mileage 7980's on  craigs list - short of the differences in inks... the extra orange and green...

what would i see in one over the other...

used 7980 my perceived plus - guy has paper - probably not what i want - and he says 85% on initial 1200.00 ink set..

the 7900 comes with 'starter' ink... and then wow 1350 for the set..

and i would probably have to set some app to make either one,  run a test every 48 hours i will use this infrequently - stopped into pro print shop today - to see about farming out the printing - not thrilled with paper selections they had... (only epsons) and seems full retail no whs offer for items destined for resale...

i think in long run i would rather manage my prints to the best of my ability...

welcoming any and all comments...

i use a d800e / zeiss lenses  so far.. and hope to add a nikon tf and pce down the road...

i shoot floral / flowers / landscapes and am finding my way to cityscapes - especially nighttime

some recent work http://www.flickr.com/photos/iggyweb/

huge thanks

p

[Mark D Segal]

Buying one of those printers to use infrequently is a recipe for heartache, and buying a used one can lead to much more heartache unless the seller has rock solid support and warranty-type arrangements to help you with in case of need. Be very careful on both fronts.

[Jim Pascoe]

If you are not doing a lot of printing there is no point in having a printer with really big cartridges - they cost too much to have standing idle.  Why not go for a 3880? (sheet only).  Depends on what size prints you do, but if most are not huge you could just pay someone else to do your bigger prints.  The 3880 would be more economical than the 2400.
I have a 24" Canon printer, but I rarely print bigger than A3.  However I do hundreds of smaller prints, and the ability to print on roll paper using templates in Lightroom is why I stay with a bigger printer.  Otherwise I could probably make do with the 3880.

Jim

[Alan Goldhammer]

+1 on the 3880.  You can let it stand idle for a couple of months turn it on and print.  Sure you are restricted to 17 inch wide cut sheets but you can by roll paper and with a Rotatrim cut long sheets (I regularly cut and print on 17x25 Museo Silver Rag) if need be.

[orchidblooms]

many thanks guys....  lots to consider...

i had a chance to see a 7900 in real life at local photo club --

these things are BIG...

i may become member of club and use theirs for a while until i get my bearings...

the 3880 - i have used and this sure is an attractive option - many thanks

[Dan Wells]

Another satisfied 3880 user chiming in - it really is a nice in between option - it's a relatively "normal sized" printer that doesn't take up a lot of space, yet has a pretty decent maximum print size, good-sized ink tanks and excellent print quality. Your D800e can certainly make bigger prints than a 3880 will handle (I'm interested in trying a few of mine on a 9900, to see how they look REALLY huge), but most prints are not that big (and you can always pay someone to make a few big ones). The only real drawbacks to the 3880 are related to its lack of roll handling - roll paper is a little bit cheaper per square foot than sheets (but that differential has been coming down), and you can't make 16x24" prints without 17x25" paper, which is relatively hard to find (17x22" is quite standard, but 17x25" is tougher). You can always cut 17x25" from 17" rolls, and that's probably the best way to get it.

[Mark D Segal]

Dan, I think the cost differences per usable sqft depends very much on the paper. With Ilford Gold Fibre Silk at around the current pricing I did a comparison and found sheets a more economical approach all considered, but with some other papers the reverse is true. I agree for 17*25 roll may be the only option, and with a 3880 one needs to cut it and flatten it manually, which is a somewhat risky nuisance. I still don't think a small volume user who doesn't really need rolls or more than 17" paper width should buy a used 7xxx series rather than a new 3880. The latter is a safe and technically excellent option.

[Dan Wells]

I agree completely with Mark's point - the 3880 is a much "tamer" beast than other large-format printers, especially used ones (it's darned easy to wreck a big printer moving it). A 3880 is a 45 pound machine (you can actually pick it up and move it, and it's not very big with the feeders closed) with a very good sheet feed mechanism - most of us use sheet paper much of the time, and it's hard to feed sheets into a 24 inch printer. All current 24 inch printers are 100+lbs, stand  mounted machines.

I also agree that the sheet/roll cost differential is very dependent on the specific paper (and generally less than it was a few years ago). There are even a few papers that are cheaper in sheets - I don't use GFS, but some Epson paper is cheaper in sheets (especially with rebates), and the Moab line is about the same price, while Hahnemuhle tends to be quite a bit cheaper in rolls.

Unless you're making mostly large prints (the width of the roll), sheet paper will require much less trimming - the 17x25 issue is one of the few cases where roll paper is actually easier. Cards are a particular pain on roll-fed printers (I've owned several), while I can give the 3880 a stack of 20 Entrada cards and walk away from it (I'm not yet brave enough to leave the room altogether, but I can certainly do something else).
 
The only thing I don't understand is with all the 3880s out there (it's easily the most popular printer on most fine-art printing discussion boards, and Epson reps have told me that it outsells all the larger printers COMBINED), why more paper manufacturers don't make 17x25" paper especially for the 3880 (and 3800). They know it's popular, it's the first printer they profile - why not make the odd-size paper it needs?

                     -Dan

[orchidblooms]

great info here - huge thanks...

today i stumbles into a new - out of box... 4900... for 500.00 

it is here now seems complete (no cable) has all 11 sealed starter inks... leather book bak... cdrom... and all factory tape holding things down...

tomorrow i will make room for this...

and i will have to figure out the whole paper thing... next...

if this works as i wish -- hopefully i can use it to parlay print revenue to fund more travel and then a 9900 late 2013!

what fun!

and many thanks